Egidio Forcellini facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Egidio Forcellini
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| Born | 26 August 1688 |
| Died | 5 April 1768 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Philologist |
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Notable work
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Latin Lexicon |
Egidio Forcellini (born August 26, 1688 – died April 5, 1768) was a very important Italian scholar. He was a philologist, which means he studied languages, especially ancient ones like Latin. Forcellini is best known for creating a massive and highly respected Latin dictionary.
A Life Dedicated to Words
Egidio Forcellini was born in a small town called Fener, near Treviso, Italy. His family was quite poor. In 1704, when he was 16, he went to a special school called a seminary in Padua. There, he studied under a famous teacher named Jacopo Facciolati. Forcellini eventually became a priest.
His Work and Legacy
For a few years, from 1724 to 1730, Forcellini was in charge of the seminary in Ceneda. Then, from 1731 to 1765, he worked as a father confessor at the seminary in Padua. He spent most of his later years in his hometown.
Forcellini passed away in Padua in 1768. He died before finishing his biggest project, a huge Latin dictionary. He had worked on this amazing book for nearly 35 years with his teacher, Facciolati. This dictionary was so important that it became the main source for all other Latin dictionaries for many years. It took another eight years just for someone named Luigi Violato to copy the entire handwritten book!
